


Devotion

by onekingdomonce



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brotherly Love, Gen, Smaurent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-08 16:34:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11650479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onekingdomonce/pseuds/onekingdomonce
Summary: A few days before Laurent’s birthday, he and Auguste go riding and spend time together.Captive Prince Week 2017:“He would do anything for his little brother.”





	Devotion

“Come on, Auguste!”

Auguste smiled as he loosened his hold on the reins, sitting deeper in his saddle and taking his legs off his horse minutely. In turn she slowed down slightly, causing Auguste to begin to fall farther behind, Laurent’s own pony trotting ahead of him.

Auguste felt his heart soar in his chest as Laurent’s giggle rang out ahead of him, an infectious laughter that started from his belly and belted out almost uncontrollably. There were not many who were fortunate enough to see his little brother at such ease, but there were not many as close as they were to begin with.

Auguste’s hair flew around him as he sped his horse up slightly, but not enough that he would pass Laurent who was only a few seconds away from reaching the tall oak tree, the marker for the end of their race. He watched with joy as Laurent reined in with a bout of laughter, hopping down from his saddle with a careless ease that came from the hours of love and practice he committed to his horses. Auguste reined in next to him and swung down, only just managing to tether their horses to a low branch before Laurent was barreling into Auguste.

Auguste laughed, feeling warmth flood his body as he wrapped his arms around his brother, feeling Laurent press his cheek into Auguste’s front. He gave Laurent a small squeeze, kissing the top of his head once before Laurent pulled away.

“You can’t beat me,” Laurent stated, his smile so proud that it lifted his cheeks, causing his bright blue eyes to squint.

Auguste laughed softly, pushing Laurent’s wispy hair out of his eyes. “Who could beat the best rider in Arles?”

“In Vere,” Laurent corrected.

“Of course.” 

Auguste watched as Laurent pushed his fussy hair out of his face again, finally settling with pushing it behind his ears.

“Will you cut it?” Auguste asked

Laurent shook his head, turning towards the saddlebag of his horse and filing through its contents. “I told you,” Laurent said. “I am going to grow it out long like yours.” He then pulled out a green apple for Auguste, and an orange for himself. He handed Auguste his apple and then pulled a small blade out from his bag.

“Where did you get that?” Auguste asked with a frown as he took the blade from Laurent, not liking the idea of his young brother playing with sharp objects.

Laurent dug his thumb into the peel of his orange, licking the juice off as it dripped down his finger. 

“Mathe’s grandson stole it from the kitchen for me,” Laurent replied as he ripped the peel off, tossing it by the tree trunk. “I gave him three copper sols for it.”

Auguste sighed as he cut into his own fruit, slicing off a small piece. “You will have to return it.”

Laurent looked back at Auguste, pausing with a segment of orange in the air, nearly at his lips. He lowered the segment with a huff. “I paid for it. It is mine now.”

“Stealing is wrong, Laurent,” Auguste admonished. He sighed, wanting to explain this properly to his brother. They may have each grown up in a fraudulent and unscrupulous court, but Laurent was a good, kind hearted child. He would not allow him to emulate the dishonesty around him. “What if someone stole something from your rooms?” Auguste tried. “You would be angry, even if that person had been paid.”

Laurent frowned at the ground, tossing another peel away from him. “I’m a prince.”

Auguste set a hand on Laurent’s shoulder. “We are all people,” he said. “I will go with you to return it.”

Laurent wrinkled his nose for a moment, looking off into the distance before nodding his head, taking the last of Auguste’s apple. 

“Alright,” he said, after he had swallowed and dabbed the juice from his lips. “If you come with me.”

Auguste nodded back, watching as Laurent turned back to his horse once again and pulled out a canteen of water. “Is there anything you forget?” He asked with an amused tone as he took the outstretched bottle from Laurent.

“I know you like a drink with your snacks,” Laurent replied, just as he crossed his arms and arched a brow at Auguste. “And princes are always prepared. You should know this by now, brother.”

Auguste smiled, endlessly pleased at the prospect of being reprimanded by his thirteen year old brother on kingly matters. “You’re right.”

Laurent nodded like this pleased him, returning the water to the saddlebag and walking around the tree, lowering himself slowly to a crouch, resting his back on the bark. Auguste followed him and mirrored his position.

They sat like this in silence, looking out onto the wide expanse of green around them, the dips in the hills and the stretch of sky above them. The sun would set soon, causing the blue to turn into an unexplainable blend of yellow, orange and pink. He knew it was Laurent’s favorite time of day, although he would not admit it. He often caught Laurent on the balcony in his rooms, looking out onto the horizon at precisely this time, and would repeatedly act as if the timing was merely coincidence. 

“Are you excited for the banquet this week?” Auguste asked.

Laurent scoffed, a sarcastic sound that children at his age should not have mastered so well.

“Overjoyed,” Laurent replied.

Auguste laughed as he pulled Laurent into him. “It wont be so bad,” he promised. “I’ll be there. And you should be excited for you birthday, fourteen is an important age.”

“Yes,” Laurent said. “As will be fifteen, and sixteen, and so on. Father will shake my hand and the court will pretend to care. It will be truly enthusing.”

Auguste could not help his frown at those words, or the sardonic tone of Laurent’s voice. He knew his father tended to lean a certain way, something he did not personally appreciate, but he still cared for Laurent, as did the court. Laurent was a treasure. 

“We can go riding again, if you like,” Auguste tried. “Or we can do anything you chose. You can bring a book and read to me, if you want. Perhaps the one about the folktales.”

Laurent turned to look at him, his delicate features scrunched up in skepticism. “You will be busy that day.”

Auguste ruffled his hair, smiling as Laurent slapped his hand away. “I’m never too busy for you, Laurent.”

Laurent turned away, his cheeks adorably flushed a rosy pink. “Okay,” he murmured. “I suppose we could do that.”

It was quiet again before Auguste spoke. “I know that some foreign delegates will be arriving,” he said.

Laurent glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “Who?”

“Torveld of Patras,” he recalled. “I believe someone from Vask, although that is still unclear. Damianos of Akielos, though I cannot account for his brother Kastor.”

“Ah, yes,” Laurent said. “The bastard.”

“There is more to him than that,” Auguste reminded him. 

Laurent rolled his eyes, likely the only person in the entire kingdom who would roll their eyes at their future king. “You know them all well?”

“I have spoken with Torveld before, though he is quite a bit older than me and I’m unsure how well we would fare, apart from political discussions. This was my first time personally delegating with Vask, and I have never met Damianos, though I have corresponded with him the most. He is only a few years younger than I am, and I feel that we could have a great deal in common. “

Laurent seemed to freeze at this, before turning to better look at Auguste. 

“You like him?” he asked. Carefully, like he was testing the words out, which he likely was.

“Damianos?”

Laurent nodded once.

“He seems very fair,” Auguste said. “Which is important being that we will likely work together in the future. I don’t know much about him passed the scant details that I have picked up, but I look forward to finding out.”

Laurent shifted in the grass before pulling his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. “Will you spend time with him?”

“I suppose I should, yes,” August responded. “As should you.”

“Me?” Laurent said after a moment of shocked silence, a confused expression morphing his features. “Why do I need to? I will not be in negotiations with him.”

“That’s not particularly true,” Auguste said. “Should you be an ambassador of mine. Besides,” He added, because he could not help teasing Laurent once in a while, enjoying the helpless way his light cheeks would flush. “He is only a few years older than you.”

“And so?” 

“He has already sent you warm wishes in our letters,” Auguste went on. “He looks forward to meeting you.” Auguste grinned. “Perhaps you will take a liking to him.”

Laurent sputtered, turning away so Auguste could not see the expression on his face, though Auguste was still able to see the pinked tips of his ears from his vantage. 

“Brother, that’s disgusting.”

“It’s natural,” Auguste laughed, leaning his elbows back on the grass and spreading his legs forward, reclining on the ground. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, enjoying the sun on his face and the ease in which he could simply be himself here, alone with his brother, the one person in which Auguste did not have to hold himself to any certain standards.

He knew Laurent tended to look up to him, a task that should not be taken lightly. Laurent deserved only the best role models, someone who could steer him in a proper direction, but still nurture all that was innate in him. He knew their father did not understand Laurent’s charm, or his love for simple things like animals or books. Not out of malice, it was simply not something he resonated with. Auguste on the other hand admired it. He may have been more like their father in the way of personal interests, but he adored anything that brought Laurent happiness. Laurent deserved someone who did. Someone who showed genuine interest in his hobbies and did not make him feel ashamed for it, and that was what Auguste always strove to do.

However, it was not only that way. It went both ways with them, and it always would. Laurent helped Auguste in ways that he did not understand, whether that was by putting his cunning, far beyond his years mind to work or by simply _being_ with him, and giving Auguste a reprieve from all that was expected of him. 

Auguste knew his responsibilities, and he looked forward to the day he would lead Vere and add his own contributions to the growing kingdom. But sometimes, he did not wish to act like a crown prince. Sometimes he just wanted to be a person.

He watched Laurent observe his casual sprawl on the grass, and smiled to himself as Laurent lowered himself next to him, carefully arranging his limbs like he could do so without actually touching the dirt. 

“This is not very princely,” Laurent said, after Auguste lowered his elbows and crossed his arms behind his head.

“We are not princes right now,” Auguste replied, his eyes closed again.

He felt Laurent lowers his body the rest of the way, inching closer towards Auguste, his body heat radiating against him.

“What are we?” he asked.

Auguste opened his eyes, turning his head so he could look at Laurent, at the way his cheek was resting on his palm, looking back at Auguste with wide, inquisitive eyes.

“Brothers.”

**Author's Note:**

> [ @laurent-ofvere](http://laurent-ofvere.tumblr.com)   
> 


End file.
